The present invention generally relates to cooking utensils of the type commonly used to barbecue chicken or other fowl, and particularly relates to cooking utensils capable of holding a flavoring liquid which can be vaporized and infused into the fowl as it is being cooked.
A well-known technique for flavoring chicken or other fowl as it is being cooked on the barbecue or other cooking apparatus is to add a flavoring liquid that can be vaporized and conducted up into the body cavity of the fowl during the cooking process. One common technique is to place the back end of the fowl down onto an open beer can set onto a cooking plate or pan such that, when the beer in the can is vaporized by the heat of the cooking apparatus, it infuses the meat surrounding the body cavity of the fowl with a characteristic flavor imparted by the beer. Other techniques for infusing a steam or vapor into the body cavity of the fowl involve special infusing devices or stands which provide a liquid holding container for the flavoring liquid and an infuser tube onto which the fowl is placed. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,779,438, which illustrates a steamer-smoker grilling device for fowl comprised of a pyramid shaded grilling base, a liquid holding cup insertable in the base, and a straight-sided cylindrical infuser tube that screws onto the top of the base. When the base of the grilling device is heated, flavoring liquid placed in the cup inside the base is vaporized and conducted through the attached infuser tube into the body cavity of a fowl placed over the tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,131 issued to Robert Holland discloses yet another example of a heretofore known apparatus for infusing a flavoring vapor into the body cavity of a chicken or the like while it is being cooked. In the Holland patent, a cylindrical infuser tube is provided that fits into a top opening of a roasting stand having downwardly sloped walls. A bottom cap is welded onto the bottom of the infuser tube to permanently enclose the bottom end of the tube so that it can hold an infuser liquid.
The need exists for improved cooking utensils for cooking fowl and for providing a flavoring vapor to the body cavity of the fowl. There is a particular need for a cooking utensil that has a simple construction, that is easy to use, that is versatile, that can be used to cook other foods such as vegetables and/or herbs along with the fowl, and that can readily be packaged in flat, stackable consumer packaging.